Fit bits - Are they any good?

sandraberns
sandraberns Posts: 9 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Well I've last 2 days have been motivated by community on MFP and so thinking of going the extra mile and getting a Fitbit. Anyone got any thoughts on value for money or how good/bad they are?

Cheers people
Sandra x

Replies

  • tschlach
    tschlach Posts: 33 Member
    Following. Would like to know also.
  • epixstudiosnh
    epixstudiosnh Posts: 72 Member
    I have the Fitbit Flex and love it. Keeps me on track and motivated.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Any fitness tracker is a tool and like all tools, they are good for some things and not as good for others. Before you decide, think about what you want to get out of a tracker. Do you want a step counter? Do you want an HRM? Do you want to track your sleep? Do you want something to calculate your TDEE? Do you want something to motivate you to move more? Is it important that you can wear it 24/7 including in water? Do you want something that needs charging one or two days a week or do you want something that runs on a watch battery?

    Having said all that, I wanted a step and sleep tracker to motivate me to move. I also wanted something that could be worn in water and that I didn't need to take off for showers or clip to my clothing every day. I also wanted something that would sync with MFP and with my GPS app for mapping my walking. I chose the Fitbit Flex for those reasons and am really happy I did. I have had it for a year now and would really miss it if I didn't have it.

    No tracker is going to be accurate in giving you your TDEE, but I have good reason to believe that the Fitbit is better than online calculators in figuring out exercise burn. I don't trust it to be 100% accurate, though, more like 75% so I eat back between 50% and 75% of my exercise calories.

    Fitbit customer service has been great. I had a couple of questions and they got back to me right away.

  • sandraberns
    sandraberns Posts: 9 Member
    Thank you! This us really helpful!
  • rushfive
    rushfive Posts: 603 Member
    I got a fitbit charge hr in feb, and love it. the challenges are great motivation. I also like seeing my sleep pattern. When I walk outside It is nice to see how hard I am working (or not).
    As already said it is a tool like mfp, depends on if you Use it.
    Good luck.
  • bareessentials56
    bareessentials56 Posts: 30 Member
    I've had a fitbit charge HR since the start of the year and love it
  • illusion2269
    illusion2269 Posts: 95 Member
    I also have had a Fitbit Charge HR since about February, and while its not 100% accurate all the time, it gives me a good idea of activity, heart rate, sleep pattern, etc. I have found it has really helped keep me motivated to hit different daily goals (distance, steps, active minutes) which, in conjunction with logging calories, has helped me continue toward my goal weight.
  • KatyDidIt9090
    KatyDidIt9090 Posts: 6 Member
    Has anybody tried out the trackers from Walmart. Don't know the name but one was only $50
  • astrocosmiczoom
    astrocosmiczoom Posts: 86 Member
    My Fitbit is probably 70% of my motivation. At work, we have a group of people doing weekly challenges where everyone can see your total steps and let me tell you, it is MOTIVATING. Even if you're in last place, you feel really inspired to beat the person above you, and even if you do the Fitbit thing solo, seeing your total steps is motivating, too. Sometimes I'm at 6,000 of my 13,000 steps that I want to do per day, and I'll say, "okay, I just want to get to 9,000 steps before I sit down on the computer," and before I know it, I'm at 11,000 and I don't want to stop.

    It's also pretty motivating to see the amount of calories you're allowed to eat increase with every step you take ;)
  • realtorrhonda
    realtorrhonda Posts: 1 Member
    I had a fitbit and another one (can't recall the name). The first one died for good within the month. The Fitbit was gone after two months. The button on the side broke off. I'm done with those devices until they are better perfected.
  • 1stplace4health
    1stplace4health Posts: 523 Member
    Love, love, love my Fitbit Zip. Fits on my bra, so I never forget it, and it's not rubbing on my skin. $50.
  • it_guy_nb
    it_guy_nb Posts: 7 Member
    I debated buying a FitBit and managed to get a Zip for free at work. Best tool I've used in a really long time. Dropped 33 pounds after a full 1 year MFP weight plateau trying to use various TDEE calcs. You never really know your activity until you put an activity tracker on. My co-worker's cousin dropped 130 pounds with her FitBit just walking. 2 hours a day, but still, almost my entire bodyweight in weight loss!
  • momar23
    momar23 Posts: 292 Member
    I think they are a decent tool. I got one in September and it really made me realize how little activity I was getting. I sit at a desk all day and thought that getting on the treadmill for 30 minutes was ok until I saw how little that actually was. I've added strength training and HIIT workouts 3-4 days a week and focus more on activity minutes but I think it's been great at helping me move more.
  • samiisaurus
    samiisaurus Posts: 10 Member
    Like someone already said, these things are the best when it comes to motivation. Much like wanting all my MFP stats to stay in the green zone, I have the same dedication to my Fitbit. I can't go to bed until I've hit my steps/calories burned/time active. Very good value for money, and randomly quite waterproof. There's really good communities there too :)
  • joshuapowell1989
    joshuapowell1989 Posts: 163 Member
    I bought a Charge, and I've definitely increased my activity level based on the motivation of the challenges.
    My partner is going to join me on the journey now so will be having my Charge whilst I upgrade to a Charge HR :)
  • susanlu01
    susanlu01 Posts: 2 Member
    I love my Fitbit I do weekly challenges and weekend challenges. I meet friends on FitBit that keep me very motivated. Today I have walked over 8 miles 17,413 steps today! Synchs to MFP it is a great tool and motivator!

    Susan
  • LadyAhiru
    LadyAhiru Posts: 112 Member
    I also have a Fitbit Flex and i love the thing so much! I set my daylie step goal to 10k and sometimes in the evening when i get home from work and i only did like 8.000 i go for a short walk because it makes me so happy to reach my goal!

    Also my coworker and her husband use Fitbit too and we do the Challanges (like wo walks mor eover the weekend or during the week etc.) Its very fun^^
  • Hybrice
    Hybrice Posts: 117 Member
    edited May 2015
    I use mine ALL the time, and recently even upgraded from the flex to the charge, awesome piece of kit, use it as a watch but also counts all my calories and steps, can challenge friends with it, and it even syncs directly to your MFP, meaning if you do extra exercise, you automatically get extra calories to your daily allowance, awesome! Also, they're an amazing company to deal with, I had mine stolen from a gym one time, I emailed them asking if I could pay a replacement fee or something, sent me a brand new one for FREE, no questions asked - as long as I sent them my receipt. The other time I got my Charge too wet, forgot to take it off in the ocean, again replaced, no quibbles. I'd recommend over and over, half of my family have them now because I won't shut up"
  • keithchemist246
    keithchemist246 Posts: 3 Member
    I have the fitbit HR. Use it and the fitbit dashboard on the smartphone. Without the smartphone it would be alright. With the smartphone/myfitnesspal it is a winning combination. Myfitnesspal has a better bar-code reader database and the fitbit will input exercise automatically. Both myfitnesspal and fitbit say calories out greater than calories in = weight loss. I track my calories through the day and plan my meals versus responding at the end of the day. I have consistently had to be under 1200 to lose weight. Irregardless of the equation.

    Am I glad I have the fitbit? Yes. Had a garmin and it was a pain to sync.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I love my fitbit zip .. I started with a flex and downgraded to a zip so I can wear it in my bra

    In the last 10 months I've work a fitbit constantly and I eat back the majority if not all the calories it gives me

    it is not solely responsible for my weight loss .. I credit eating at a calorie defecit with that

    I also use a Polar FT4 HRM during workouts and log those in as exercise

    I do not like the wrist HRMs .. like the top model Fitbits .. I think they're only useful if you have a heart condition and they fall back the majority of the time into being a pedometer

    so I would advise you buying a basic zip for $40 and using it every day
  • keithcw_the_first
    keithcw_the_first Posts: 382 Member
    I have the Charge HR. First I was skeptical, then I took it as gospel.

    Finally I gave myself enough time to pay attention to the numbers and figure out that while it was not 100% accurate, it came very close. I've had it since January and I've got a pretty solid baseline of numbers laid down.

    Take the time to figure out how it works for you.
  • sandraberns
    sandraberns Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks guys that's it you've helped me make up my mind - gotta get one! Thank you for getting back to me so quickly!
  • watchhillgirl
    watchhillgirl Posts: 597 Member
    I have a fit bit flex and love it! It motivates me to do more!
  • MelissaE27
    MelissaE27 Posts: 682 Member
    I have the fitbit charge and I so love it.. it motivates me do so much more..plus my job is a property manager and I didn't realize all the steps I take during the day... plus it keeps track of sleep patterns.. I always wake up tired and now I see why for instance last night it said I was awake 13 times and restless 47.... not a good nights sleep... I went to Google and did a comparison of fitbits it puts them all side by side and tells you what they do and you can choose which one is best for you:)
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    I think all trackers such as the Fitbit are a good motivational tool.
  • mccraee
    mccraee Posts: 199 Member
    I had one three or four years ago and loved it. It really motivated me to walk more, walk hills/stairs more. I didn't really get anything out of sleep thing (it is just keeping track of how much you move around in your sleep, it cannot tell is you're in REM).

    their customer service is the best of anything I've ever seen

    I gave it to my MIL since I wasn't using it that much anymore. It must have worked because I am very active

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